Ags’ NFL shakeout; Lt. Dan in Aggieland

COLLEGE STATION — By now you’re probably aware that safety Jordan Pugh, one of the true good guys of the past few years at Texas A&M, was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round last week, becoming the 14th Aggie over the past seven years to hear his name called in New York.

“It doesn’t matter which position I play,” said Pugh, who bounced between corner and safety for A&M. “I played on most every special teams unit at A&M, so maybe I could help in those areas.”

Here’s how the rest of the week shook out for other A&M seniors:

* Center Kevin Matthews signed a free-agent deal with the Titans, his dad’s old team. Bruce Matthews was a Hall of Famer with Tennessee and the (sadly) defunct Houston Oilers.

* Tight end/fullback Jamie McCoy signed as a free agent with St. Louis, where he’ll reunite with former A&M offensive coordinator Nolan Cromwell, the Rams’ receivers coach.

* Offensive lineman Mike Shumard, a team spokesman last year and adept at a decent one-liner, signed as a free agent with Denver. We’ll miss his quips.

* Linebacker Matt Featherston signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay, and offensive lineman Lee Grimes will receive a tryout with the Buccaneers.

“It’s a tough road, but I know all of these young men will give everything they have,” A&M coach Mike Sherman said.

Of the bunch, I’d expect Pugh to stick, and perhaps even go the Melvin Bullitt route, and far exceed expectations in the NFL. I wouldn’t count out McCoy, either, who exuded versatility in his time at A&M. He arrived in Aggieland as a quarterback — and might have been a pretty good one had he ever been given the opportunity to prove himself at the position.

A&M now has 27 of its own on NFL rosters as of the end of this month, according to its crack sports information staff, with New England defensive end Ty Warren and Oakland punter Shane Lechler the most prominent of the bunch.

 Lt. Dan! Lt. Dan!

One of the great things about living in Bryan-College Station is the down-the-road access to a world-class presidential library — access I don’t use often enough.

But when I heard Lt. Dan was going to be in town to honor the USO this week during a forum at George Bush’s palatial spread, I told my wife it was time to crank up the Chevy (she got tickets through her employer, KBTX-TV).

Bush and Gary Sinise didn’t disappoint. Bush (the elder), who’s been a little more out of the spotlight of late as he nears his 86th birthday, introduced the actor Sinise — best known as Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump and the current star of CSI:NY (a Z household staple) — along with USO President Sloan Gibson, Major Gen. Jeffrey Hammond and actress Mayra Veronica.

Bush said that his father, Prescott, ran the USO — the United Service Organizations — shortly after being handed the reins from John D. Rockefeller, one of its founders.

“How ’bout that for dropping a name?” Bush said, to a roar from the library center crowd.

Bush, a World War II veteran, said the USO, which has the mission of “serving the men and women who serve our country,” is so valuable “because it’s the little things that boost morale.”

Hammond, chief of staff of U.S. Army Forces Command and father of an Aggie, said the USO “is about loving soldiers and families, and the USO is always there for us.”

Sinise, who’s as squared away in person as on NY, said in his business, they play a lot of heroes, “but it’s all acting.” He said the real heroes are in uniform, defending the country. Sinise became very involved in the USO after Sept. 11. He heads up the Lt. Dan Band, and a great movie was shown at the presidential library after the forum, “Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good.”

“We’re asking an awful lot of our military right now — an awful lot,” said Sinise, who’s made multiple trips overseas in support of the troops.

The USO is funded by donations.

“Today’s USO is not my father’s USO,” Gibson said. “It needed to change because the needs of our men and women and their families have changed. … We’ll continue to keep our finger on the pulse of our troops all over the world.”

The foursome fielded a handful questions from the crowd, and one was aimed at Sinise in particular. He and Veronica were told that Bryan-College Station is a conservative community and a big supporter of the military, but what about being in an industry that isn’t quite known for that?

“I’ve never found it difficult to do what I do and work in the entertainment industry,” Sinise responded, adding that if he goes around in Hollywood saying he supports the troops, “I haven’t had that affect me in any way.”

The funniest moment of the afternoon occurred when Veronica, a curvaceous brunette (the understatement of this blog), and Sinise were asked why they got involved in helping the USO.

Veronica said she was in magazines such as Maxim, and became a “favorite pin-up girl of Marines,” and has visited bases for about the past four years as a result.

As for Sinise?

“Well, I was posing for a magazine,” he said, grinning toward Veronica. “And I saw my pin-up with one of the troops …”

For more information on the USO, visit USO.org. I promise there are no pin-up pictures of Sinise on the site. Lt. Dan does head up a heck of a band, however.